The Forum, Norwich
The Forum is a community building in Norwich, Norfolk in England. It stands opposite the St. Peter Mancroft Church. Designed by Michael Hopkins and Partners, the Forum was built as a millennium project for the East of England and finished in October 2001.[1] Built on the site of the previous Norwich Library which burnt down in 1994, the Forum is visited by more than 2.5 million people every year.[2][3] The building is home to the Norfolk & Norwich Millennium (NML) library, the local Tourist Information Centre, and the BBC East offices and studios, where the regional television news bulletin BBC Look East and local radio station BBC Radio Norfolk are based.[4]
Since The Forum opened, the amphitheater-like steps at the front have provided a venue for many different functions such as: amateur theatrical performances, outdoor opera,[5] musical competitions, art exhibitions, processions,[6] celebrations and a real-ice skating rink.[7]
Because the forum is funded partly by lottery grants, they hold certain events which are free of charge for people to attend. For example Retro Arcade 2: Megablast in which Fusion (a digital gallery) is transformed into a vast array of gaming machines.
The Forum is also perfectly placed for people to meet and have certain social events safe in the knowledge that others from the area will know where it is. It is seen as a very social spot and is notorious for attracting skaters and free runners who parade their skills to the crowds surrounding them. In keeping with its image of being a notorious meeting place within the city, gamers have chosen the forum as the place to hold their first 3DS streetpass event within the city.
The Forum is part of Norwich 12, a collection of notable buildings in Norwich spanning the Norman, medieval, Georgian, Victorian and modern eras.[4]
References
- ↑ http://www.theforumnorwich.co.uk/media/site-downloads/Architecture__Construction_of_The_Forum.pdf
- ↑ "BBC ON THIS DAY | 1 | 1994: Library fire wipes out historic records". BBC News. 1976-08-01. Retrieved 2012-12-20.
- ↑ "The Forum, in Norwich - Free Events, Exhibitions, Family Entertainment, Millennium Library, Restaurants, Shops". Theforumnorwich.co.uk. Retrieved 2012-12-20.
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 "The Forum Norwich - What. The landmark millennium project for the East of England". Norwich12.co.uk. Retrieved 2012-12-20.
- ↑ "Norfolk - Entertainment - Open air opera at The Forum". BBC. 2007-07-28. Retrieved 2012-12-20.
- ↑ "Dragon Festival Events". Heritagecity.org. Retrieved 2012-12-20.
- ↑ The Forum ice-rink 2008/2009. "Norfolk - Places - The Forum ice-rink 2008/2009". BBC. Retrieved 2012-12-20.